"According to beat writer Brian VanOchten, "it seems increasingly doubtful" that the Lions will draft a QB first overall in April.
VanOchten says this year's QB class is weak and the Lions can wait until Tim Tebow, Sam Bradford, and Colt McCoy come out in 2010 to draft a franchise QB. The logic here is very flawed, but it's true that an underclassman QB is way too risky for an organization that cannot afford to miss on this pick."

Do the Chiefs follow this logic or take the QB of their choice?

The Poz

01-20-2009, 07:10 AM

Full article:

So who's No. 1 on the Detroit Lions' draft list?

As the NFL scouting season officially gets under way, new Detroit Lions coach Jim Schwartz is off to Mobile, Ala., for Senior Bowl practices this week. He'll be putting together a list -- with input from team president Tom Lewand and general manager Martin Mayhew -- and checking it twice.

I doubt if that list will include a quarterback at the top of it.

It seems increasingly doubtful the Lions will spend the top overall pick in the 2009 NFL draft on a passer.

Why? Simple.

Sam Bradford (Oklahoma), Colt McCoy (Texas) and Tim Tebow (Florida) all are returning to college next season.

It seems logical for the Lions to see that there will be a better crop of quarterbacks coming out in 2010 at the top of the draft and their draft pick -- barring a miraculous turnaround in Schwartz's first season on the sideline -- should put them in great shape for landing one of these passers.

On top of that, Mark Sanchez (USC) and Matthew Stafford (Georgia) hardly seem like franchise-saving quarterbacks. Sanchez has started for just one season in college and Stafford didn't perform at his best during the past season or in a bowl matchup against Michigan State.

You want to pin your future hopes on either of them?

The fact is there are far greater needs for the Lions that wasting the top overall pick on a passer who wouldn't be ready to become a starter for at least one season, maybe longer. It also makes no sense to put a college quarterback behind an offensive line that surrendered 50-plus sacks per season. Until the Lions can better protect their quarterback, no need to use a draft pick on one of them.

The best fit for Schwartz, if he runs a similarly conservative offense like his former team, the Tennessee Titans, is perhaps bringing back Kitna for the final year of his contract. Kitna and Orlovsky are best suited for running a conservative offense, much like the Titans ran with Kerry Collins this past season.

Culpepper brought little to the Lions last season. Henson didn't show much, either.

The Lions could do a lot worse that letting Kitna, Orlovsky and perhaps Stanton compete in training camp for the starting job next season.

The one quarterback that might prove tempting to the Lions is Texas Tech's Graham Harrell, but it only makes sense for them to snag Harrell with its bonus third-round pick acquired from the Dallas Cowboys in the Roy Williams trade. A starting safety or cornerback in the second round is a much more important need for the Lions, although Harrell, if still available when picking in the third round, seems like he might be a more NFL-ready quarterback than either Sanchez or Stafford.

In the meantime, the Lions must focus on more pressing needs.

Schwartz tipped his hand a bit when he stressed the importance of rebuilding the offensive and defensive lines at his introductory press conference last Friday. And Mayhew responded to the importance of the quarterback position, saying: "I think it's an extremely important position, but I don't think it has to be Bobby Layne or Peyton Manning. You do have to have a guy who performs at a high level."

So expect them to target neither Sanchez nor Stafford.

The Lions should spend its No. 1 pick on a franchise left tackle, a fearsome pass rusher or a smashmouth middle linebacker. There are numerous big-time talents, such as Alabama's Andre Smith, Texas' Brian Orakpo and USC's Rey Maualuga, at the top of the draft that fit that description.

Any of them is a proper choice for the Lions. A quarterback isn't -- at least until next year.

Pestilence

01-20-2009, 10:42 AM

I could see the Lions going Andre Smith with their 1st round pick and then grabbing a MLB or DE with their second 1st round pick. It would fill their two biggest need and it would allow them to see what they have in Orlovsky or Stanton. Orlovsky didn't play THAT bad last year (minus running out of the back of the endzone).

ChiefsCountry

01-20-2009, 10:48 AM

This sounds like Teicher version from Detroit.

RealSNR

01-20-2009, 11:09 AM

Tell that to Atlanta, who foolishly selected a QB in a weak QB class

DeezNutz

01-20-2009, 11:24 AM

Waiting on Tebow and McCoy?

I loves me some Detroit.

KCrockaholic

01-20-2009, 12:32 PM

Tell that to Atlanta, who foolishly selected a QB in a weak QB class

Ryan was a senior, he had more experience coming into the draft. Stafford and Sanchez are each Juniors. Makes it more difficult to adjust to the pro level.

Ebolapox

01-20-2009, 08:02 PM

*prays like crazy*

OH PLEASE OH PLEASE OH PLEASE, I'LL BELIEVE THERE IS A GOD IF WE PICK STAFFORD OR SANCHEZ

the Talking Can

01-20-2009, 08:19 PM

Waiting on Tebow and McCoy?

I loves me some Detroit.

no shit

Buehler445

01-20-2009, 09:24 PM

Waiting on Tebow and McCoy?

I loves me some Detroit.

That's exactly what I was thinking. I hope to Jesus they take both those guys. You know, just to be safe.

"According to beat writer Brian VanOchten, "it seems increasingly doubtful" that the Lions will draft a QB first overall in April.
VanOchten says this year's QB class is weak and the Lions can wait until Tim Tebow, Sam Bradford, and Colt McCoy come out in 2010 to draft a franchise QB. The logic here is very flawed, but it's true that an underclassman QB is way too risky for an organization that cannot afford to miss on this pick."

Do the Chiefs follow this logic or take the QB of their choice?

Dont get me wrong if they don't go QB then I'll be truely happy but the sentence where he says Tim Tebow and Colt McCoy are better QB's than Stafford and Sanchez just eliminates all intelligence and merit from the story. But I hope the Lions are as retarded as this guy is.

Mecca

01-21-2009, 04:44 AM

Anyone who thinks those QB's are better pro prospects than these 2 guys is retarded....

Underclassman 1 year starting whatever....Sanchez has spent 4 years in a pro style offense and Stafford spent 3 years starting the majority of that time..Bradford, McCoy and Tebow combined have spent 0 days in that.

Which to me tells me the undeclassmen in this years draft actually should adjust better than the seniors of next year...I'll take the underclassmen that has been in a pro style offense for atleast 3 years over a guy with an extra year in a college gimmick offense.

And Sanchez was at SC 4 years so he's not a completely typical underclassman.

chop

01-21-2009, 05:53 AM

I believe this is the same guy that was saying that he thinks the Lions should give up their two first round draft picks to get J. Peppers if he is franchised.

DeezNutz

01-21-2009, 10:12 AM

I believe this is the same guy that was saying that he thinks the Lions should give up their two first round draft picks to get J. Peppers if he is franchised.

Really? Link (if possible)?

Ultra Peanut

01-21-2009, 04:46 PM

I believe this is the same guy that was saying that he thinks the Lions should give up their two first round draft picks to get J. Peppers if he is franchised.Hahahahahahahahaha

Valiant

01-21-2009, 05:40 PM

I think it is just to confuse other teams and see if they get any other offers for the #1 spot..